Loftus and Pickrell ⭐

Question 1

Year

Answer 1

1995

Question 2

Aim

Answer 2

Determine if false memories of autobiographical events can be created through the power of suggestion

Question 3

Sample

Answer 3

3 males
21 females

Question 4

Procedure

Answer 4

Before study
- family member of participant asked for 3 of their childhood memories
- asked if participant had ever been lost in the mall
- participant only tested if no

Received questionnaire in the mail
- asked to write about 4 memories (3 real, 1 false (getting lost in mall))
- told if they don’t remember, write ‘I do not remember this’

Each participant interviewed twice over 4 weeks
- asked to recall as much information as possible from four events
- asked to rate confidence 1-10

• debriefed and asked to guess which memory was false

Question 5

Results and conclusion

Answer 5

25% recalled false memory
BUT
less confident and recalled less on questionnaire

Memories can be affected my external factors (in this case power of suggestion) and are not always reliable.